dedja wrote:With regards to losing entitlements, there should not be any issues with leave loading, but granted the 15 day long service provision will affect a few people.
The government has every right to try to change these conditions to bring public servants in line with the rest of community. If the PSA objects (which they obviously do), then let them blow large amounts of member's finances with a High Court Challenge. The result will be interesting.
ok, just in the interests of disclosure i will say that i am a public servant.
now, with the two paragraphs above. why should there not be any issues with losing leave loading? i like my leave loading. if they are going to take it away they need to, wait for it, NEGOTIATE a different deal.
at the moment leave loading is part of our EB agreement, that by the way the government were happy to sign only six months or so before they handed down the budget. if they wanted to remove the provision, why was it not raised at that time? they had ample opportunity to negotiate a resolution, but chose to try the bully approach.
Next point, yes they do have every right to try to change the conditions, just as the workers have every right to be treated fairly, and receive just compensation for the removal of the entitlement. the workers also have the right to try to change the agreement if they dont like it dont they? isnt it supposed to be an agreement between the two parties?
It would be no different to a private company just deciding that 4 weeks leave per year was just unreasonable, starting 1 July all employees now only get one week, to be taken at a time chosen by the management, not the employee. would that sit ok wth you? or is this only ok because it is the government?
also, i see your point regarding tenure. there are a couple of people i would like to see not only removed from their positions, but removed form the gene pool all together. but if that provision is to be removed, there needs tobe a balancing benefit in its place.
for years i have heard that the wages in government are lower than the equivalent private sector position. so now the government want to pay us less, and remove the things that we get that private enterprise dont. you cant have it both ways, which is what they are trying to achieve.
i also laugh at the frequent comment when the issue of politition pay rises comes up. their response is usually something along the lines of "you have to pay the best, to get the best", it seems that belief doesnt apply regarding public servants.....
